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[PnorkelPW]

Hi All………….not sure what happened last week but I think I just jumped online thinking it was Thursday. I had a lot running through my mind, was a bit distracted for the day and clearly just had a moment – LOL. @Cakie181 sorry if you were online waiting.

I’m here tonight though so just tag me or @ScorpionPW in your post if you’re online and we’ll respond.

For anyone else out there tonight………..how was your weekend? Is there anything on your mind tonight you want to talk about?

I’m online between 8pm – 10pm but feel free to leave a response here any time of the day/night/week and we’ll reply when next online.

[PnorkelPW]

Daylight Savings is finally here!!

My week has been surprising. I’m in the middle of a 3 week break from work and I’m surprised at how much I’ve switched off. Times like these remind me of how much stress I’m carrying at times. I’m trying to use my break to get back into routine, get some fresh air and exercise and start looking after my diet again.

I had my daughter for a week for the school holidays which was great. I love the bonding that happens over a week, it’s different to every second weekend and every Wednesday night. We went to The Show, the movies, walks, and just hung out. Time is something you never get back so it’s important to make the most of it.

I’ve been on a couple of dates with someone and once again my head is playing its games. She’s smart, funny, kinda cool, and doesn’t drink……….that’s hard to find. Now I just have to try and stay secure within myself and hope it works out. The early stages of dating someone I find really hard and I get filled with self doubt and insecurities. Once upon a time that’s where the booze would come in handy because it gave me confidence. These days I have to rely on myself to get through and that’s where some of my mindfulness tools come in handy. I’ve also learnt to communicate better but still try and work on it.

Renovations start on my house this week which is going to disrupt things. No toilet, laundry or bathroom will make life a little bit different and the fact that I’m off work too is a really major impact on my usual routine. I’ll just have to adapt my routine but that doesn’t always come easy. In recovery, establishing a routine is important and I’ve found it really helpful so I need to watch that I don’t get thrown too far out of whack.

How’s everyone else’s week?

[PnorkelPW]

Hi All..........how's your week been?

How was your weekend?

What's on your mind??

I've been working on something for the last few days and it's reminded me about the power of talking........of just getting whatever it is that's on your mind out of your head. This is a great space to just say whatever that is.........to say anything. There's no judgment and it's completely anonymous. Maybe all you want to say is "purple monkey underpants"...............it really doesn't matter. When thoughts get out of your head and are either spoken or written they're negative power is diminished and their positive power grows. Give it a try............go on............."PURPLE MONKEY UNDERPANTS!!!!".............or whatever else is in your head.

[PnorkelPW]

I've had two and a half weeks off work and I feel amazing. My weight and diet had been spiralling out of control and whilst two weeks isn't enough time to reverse that, it has been a chance to reset. I'm feeling better mentally as a result. Sometimes we just need a reset for our substance use too. If you can get to things before they spiral out of control it can be easier to reset..........not easy........but easier. You might just be trying to take a break for a day, a few days or a week or longer. Maybe you'll feel better if you can manage that??

I'm trying to stay calm in the middle of big changes at the moment. It feels like there's a whole lot of instability around me. I haven't been at work, I don't have a toilet or bathroom due to renovations, I'm currently sitting 4 and a half hours from home as I'm speaking at a forum tomorrow, I'm dating someone new..................it's all pretty big stuff................but I'm grateful. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to do this stuff because in addiction I had none of this.

I'm also grateful that I've learned to manage change because change isn't always easy for me to handle.

What's happening for you??

@Tasman89 @LilLis @2much beer @Jarrah @Mia_85 @Mrstinks @Clara1 @Kimi79 @Nic Vader @Sunshine16

[Cakie181]

And AGAIN i missed out on last nights joining in for the first time,and i keep missing thursdays joining in aswell...must set a reminder on my phones calender or something

[Cakie181]

Hey....is there anyone online like in the middle of the night/early early hours of the morning tho please?

[teapot]

Good morning @Cakie181 if you're still up

Glad you've been looking after yourself @PnorkelPW

[Cakie181]

Good morning @Cakie181 if you're still up

Glad you've been looking after yourself @PnorkelPW

Good morning all.....yep,been up all night,not being able to get to sleep,even with taking my prescribed antipsychotic prescription medication,just havent been able to turn off or tune out this week,must be the full moon i rekon...i need to drive thru peak hour traffic today,and have managed to get a total of 3 hours sleep since i woke on monday morning,too risky to be out driving,reaction times severely delayed...yes,i slipped up on monday night,but sleep deprivation and driving is never a very good mix,never a good idea to be doing!! Well,i best be off....my cat is demanding my love,affection and attention,she's in a sooky la-la mood this morning....

[PnorkelPW]

@Cakie181 it doesn't matter that you missed the time, you can just post here anyway and I'll see it at some stage.

Good decision not to drive. I had a couple of four and a half hour drives earlier in the week and had been up all night preparing a presentation the night before. I made the decision to pull over and have a couple of power naps to be safe.

Slip-ups are okay.......how can you prevent another one?

[Cakie181]

I can avoid people triggers if i stay away from my son-in-law and his brother,but he's the only friend and semi-family member i have left in my life

[PnorkelPW]

Hi All...........how was your weekend?

And welcome to the forums @Sheree22 @bigpoppa-og @Desiree @Aqua Vita @Nucam12 @Gavin @DBrisbane @KIZUM @ELT89 @Scout07 @Orchid

[PnorkelPW]

I had an interesting weekend that had moments of temptation. Family isn't always easy for me and on the weekend that was amplified. My extended family is huge and I was at a function of about 80 people complicated by mum and dad being in the same place for about the fifth time in over 20 years which is always difficult. It requires a whole lot of management and I find my emotions get stretched............and patience. There was alcohol everywhere and racing on all the TV's with people betting. My sobriety was highlighted for some reason and people were asking if I was okay which doesn't usually happen. All in all I was just feeling really uncomfortable. I was able to distract myself by focusing on cooking and hosting but it was just a difficult day. I took moments to myself, went for walks around the block to recentre, and as the party wound down I was able to sit by the fire while everyone was inside and just reflect and appreciate the fact that I got through safe and sober.

My journal got a good workout on Saturday night and on Sunday I took my daughter to the Dog Lover's Show which was an awesome change of pace. When things aren't tracking well, finding a way to change direction can be hard...........but it can be done.

How was your weekend?

[PnorkelPW]

Removing old friends and staying away from old environments can feel isolating @Cakie181 and it's what drags a lot of people back to using over and over again. I know I struggled with it for years. For me, that's where going to AA helped because I met people who were trying to do the same thing I was............not drink or use drugs. It gave me a place to go and when I got more comfortable I started sticking around afterwards to talk to people. I'd volunteer to help wash the teacups and met a lot of people that way. I started getting there earlier and then built some connections. I got phone numbers so I could call people if I was struggling and it helped me immensely.

Have you considered SMART Recovery meetings or NA?

[ScorpionPW]

It's great to hear about how you got through your weekend @PnorkelPW.

It's a good reminder that when feeling uncomfortable or triggered that it won't last forever, it will pass and we can find little things that help us ride the waves and get through without picking up.

There are still things that I learnt in early recovery that help me to get through difficult moments now like playing music really loud, cooking something really delicious and getting creative with food or even just simply having a herbal tea.

Love hearing about this stuff so thanks for sharing and good on you for pulling through

[PnorkelPW]

Hi All............what's happening for your Monday??

Welcome to the forums @Zara13 , @themodernleper , @TJ1692, @Hopeful101

How was your weekend?